Letters to the Editor - Aug. 30, 2013

Saturday

Aug 31, 2013 at 3:15 AM

To the editor: After World War II, someone asked Sir Winston Churchill for a statement about the United States’ policy in both World War I and World War II and about his perspective on the Americans doing the right thing … “Yes the Americans did do the right thing, after exhausting the alternatives.”

I am most heartened about the fact that a helpful meeting on the future of the beloved UNH outdoor pool has recently occurred and I want to compliment both the leadership of the University and of the Town of Durham for all their work on the UNH outdoor POOL question and for their holding this gathering.

If you will indulge me as a longtime faculty member of UNH (after next year I will have been associated with UNH for half a century) and as a resident of Durham since 1967, I would like to remind you that I wrote the Town poem for the 1982 250th anniversary of Durham’s founding, published in a book on the history of Durham in 1985. Near the end of my poem, I suggested that of all Durham’s blessings as a place to live, raise children and study and work, the Town of Durham enjoys a precious sense of community, something of great value but something which can be the most difficult to preserve. In recent months, the Pool question has put a spotlight on the question of what kind of community we live in and share and yet I believe, at the same time, that the resolution of key issues in the Pool question, how to preserve and sustain the existing pool, not a smaller version, will only strengthen our community and will enhance University-Town relations.

I have no doubt that the University will do the right thing on the pool question, and that it when it does this, it will not have to continue exhausting the alternatives.

Douglas Wheeler

Durham

About the author: Douglas Wheeler adds that he is a 46-year resident of Durham and UNH Professor of History Emeritus.

To the editor: In reading about Dickinson and the waterfront development, it appears he is way in over his head and doesn’t have any financial ability to meet his promises.

But he does know how to attach himself like a tick to the City of Dover. The city needs to be very, very careful to protect taxpayers from this becoming an immense mess — even if it means abandoning some of the original plans. Will city egos allow that?

Mark Nadeau

Dover

To the editor: Ms. Briggs Badger has retired from her position as Superintendent of Dover’s Schools. She served the only way she knew how, with consideration, integrity and with her students welfare as her first priority. I will miss her contribution to our schools, but much less than will those who she sought to serve, our school children. Please enjoy your retirement, Jean. Our schools are the lesser today without your service, our community is the lesser today without the dignity that accompanied you each morning to your post.

David K. Bamford

Dover

To the editor: Eliot voters supported a cap on property taxes at Tuesday’s referendum election by a margin of 826-186 votes. Following the vote, the Portsmouth Herald reporter said the following: “Reached by telephone after the vote, Board of Selectman Chairman Mike Moynahan said:” There are some pretty vocal people who are not helping the town”.

Given the overwhelming support of the voters for a tax cap and the total rejection of the selectmen’s judgments, my initial thoughts were what an incredible insult to the intelligence of Eliot voters. He did not identify the “vocal people” but after careful consideration of his description, he may well have been speaking of the Eliot Board of Selectman and this may have been an “admission statement”.

Robert Pomerleau

Eliot, Maine

To the editor: Nero fiddles (Shaheen, Shea-Porter and Kuster) while Rome (citizens of New Hampshire) burn.

The Middle East is a tinder box and at present and we are looking at crude oil above $100 a barrel. We simply have to look and see that there is no immediate relief to the uprisings and civil wars going on in that region.

We import a great deal of our energy from this region and we did find ourselves some time ago at the whim of the OPEC countries. Do you remember when you stopped at the station for five gallons of fuel?

Here in New Hampshire we have our three Democrat representatives in Congress that are more beholden to the environment special interests (who most likely fill their campaign coffers) and are doing all in their power to keep the voters of NH making decisions to either put food on the table or to keep warm.

At present, the Keystone XL pipeline would do much to provide some relief to the current high prices for gasoline and heating fuel. Let’s not forget that New England is heated primarily by oil. In addition we have The Northern Pass proposal that the special interests are keeping tied up in the courts and keeping the people of NH in almost abject poverty to provide a decent living for their families. A proposal to bring tar sand oil from Montreal to Maine is being fought again by the special interest to the detriment of the citizens of NH. All three Democrat representatives have asked Secretary of State Kerry to insure the proposal will be tied up in the Foggy Bottom bureaucracy until some sanity returns to The Beltway.

Recently, Shea-Porter has proposed an amendment to prevent drilling for off-shore oil. She was recently criticized for proposing and amendment to the Keystone XL bill because it was not germane to the bill. In this particular case after four plus years in the House you might think she would have been familiar with the rules.

The Democrat administration has wasted trillions on green energy projects that for the majority have failed and the tax payer and the grandchildren of the taxpayer will be paying for an eternity.

The only answer to see these representatives quit stifling the NH economy is to call their offices, email them, Twitter them, or contact them on Facebook.

Until they hear from you they will continue to support their special interests.

Don Coffey

Dover

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